Cooked and Bottled in Brunswick

Mitchell Harris Macedon Ranges/Pyrenees Sabre Chardonnay/Pinot Noir 2008

2012-01-29T11:59:00.004+11:00

To say that the Mitchell Harris star is on the rise is quite frankly beyond obvious! The Mitchell Harris Macedon Ranges/Pyrenees Sabre Chardonnay/Pinot Noir 2008 is a spankingly good wine that just kept giving. The colour certainly belies its three years on lees with a lovely off gold/bronze tinge and constant fine bead. The nose dance’s between brioche and tort grapefruit and then really comes alive in the palate with a combination of subtle red fruit followed by a great finish of gingerbread. With a pedigree from Chandon, Jonno Harris producers a wine that ticks all the right boxes with the first sparkling release under the Mitchell Harris label. And like the piggy, I just want more - cracking job mate!!

Drink with salmon gravlax
Drink till 2016
97
Diam cork 12.5%v/v www.mitchellharris.com.au

A summers day in Brunswick

2012-01-29T10:18:00.002+11:00

“Shall I compare thee to a summers day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds to shake the darling buds of May,
And summer’s lease hath all too short a date.”
“But the eternal summer shall not fade.”

William Shakespeare, Sonnets - 18, 19

Eldridge Estate Mornington Peninsula Chardonnay 2009

2012-01-28T09:47:00.004+11:00

After a weird call to the wine store this morning I thought this was appropriate.

A beautifully crafted Chardonnay from the peninsula. The Eldridge Estate Mornington Peninsula Chardonnay 2009 is sort of a step back to the close past – you get that? What I mean is this a Chardonnay that isn’t made in the Chablis style of tort acid and citrus. This wine has the beautiful texture of Chassagne Montrachet with a burst of stone fruit, soft grapefruit and persistent licorice powder. This is a wine that was made 10 years ago, before the time when it was uber chic to make chardonnay with piercing acid and nothing else. (Don’t get me wrong. I like acid and grapefruit in Chardonnay, but I also like complexity and fullness too.) Beautiful. Beautiful. Beautiful.

Drink with pork and pistachio sausage
Drink till 2016
97
Screwcap 13.7%v/v $47 Albert St Food & Wine, Brunswick

Wine popsicle anyone?

2012-01-26T14:50:00.003+11:00

This is what happens when you have the best intentions in bringing home a bottle of wine for your better half after they have had a very big week back at work. So I pop it in the freezer whilst I try and make the house look pretty and all of that palavar, and then... No and then. It stayed in the freezer until this morning and what do I see? The perfect way to celebrate Australia Day 2012 - Wine popsicle! Sorry dear xxx

Beer and Bon Jovies

2012-01-22T17:17:00.002+11:00

It’s simple really; confit onion jam with Bon Jovies (anchovies) and a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale on a hot Sunday afternoon. Spot on Chicken Spot!

Vadiaperti Campania Falanghina IGT 2009

2012-01-08T13:01:00.004+11:00

This is not for the faint of heart. The Vadiaperti Campania Falanghina IGT 2009 is a wine that cannot easily be pigeon-holed like a chardonnay, riesling or sauvignon, where all three in one way or another can be mistaken for the others. Very often with ‘exotic’ varieties you have people ask what other variety is it similar to; well this variety has a ‘hole’ all of its own! Captivating on the nose with a touch of candied grapefruit and dried herbs, the palate throws all manner of savoury notes of more dried herbs, acid and white phenolics. It is the mid palate where the dried herb aspect makes you stand to attention; its something that takes a while to put your finger on, but its there, trust me. A cracking wine and club house leader in my fridge right now.

Drink with risotto of goat’s cheese and asparagus
Drink till 2014
94
Natural cork 13%v/v $33 Albert St Food & Wine, Brunswick

The Brunswick Man Bag!

2012-01-04T20:52:00.004+11:00

Beer. Love. Sexy as! You had me at hello.

The ultimate ‘man bag’. The Thunder Road Brewery ‘Brunswick Bitter’ Growler complete with its own carry strap and beer wetsuit. As Annie quite eloquently put it, ‘sweet dreams are made of these...’

Get it at Thunder Road Brewery in Brunswick. Drink NOW! 1.89L $25 first pour including membership and beer wetsuit.

Thunder Road Brewery, 130 Barkly Street Brunswick http://www.thunderroadbrewing.com

Spinifex Barossa Valley Lola 2011

2012-01-03T20:32:00.005+11:00

Q: How many grape varieties does it take to change a light bulb?
A: None. They’re grapes!!

My point exactly. But it does raise the question of how many varieties can make up a wine before any of them deliver the ‘wow’ factor. Seems that it doesn’t matter, and that’s fine with me all in all – literally with this wine. The Spinifex Barossa Valley Lola 2011 is a blend of Ugni Blanc (or Trebbiano), Semillon, Marsanne and Viognier. Seriously, they must really have been thinking that day, ‘what the hell!’ Thing is though, they made a pretty schmick wine.

Very nectarine on the nose, the wine follows suit in the mouth with more stone fruit, this time in the guise of white peach and a tickle of glycerol. My only beef though is that it is rather quick, but on a hot day like today wines like this are not going to have a long life span once the seal is broken.

Drink till 2014
Drink with BBQ squid
92
Screwcap 11.5%v/v $26 Albert St Food & Wine

Giaconda Beechworth Chardonnay 2008 bottle # 01438

2012-01-01T12:35:00.004+11:00

Start the new year with a bang I say. Quite simply our best chardonnay producer, the Giaconda Beechworth Chardonnay 2008 was simply stunning. Tight green hue in the glass, the aroma is full of grapefruit and peach with burnt match stick and licorice powder. The palate is full of melon and a creamy nuttiness that manoeuvres in to a stonefruit tail. Just brilliant!

Drink with grilled marron
Drink till 2018
98
Screwcap 13%v/v $88 mailing list 3 years ago www.giaconda.com.au

Top Six in 2011

2011-12-31T16:24:00.012+11:00

It’s that time of the year again when we make resolutions and spend money on gym memberships that rarely get used. 2011 came and tomorrow its 2012’s time to shine. But 2011 year has been pretty huge for me, starting off still working in champagne and as agent for eight Australian and New Zealand producers to be now heavily involved in one of Melbourne’s newest, and biggest I think, restaurant – Albert Street Food & Wine. Yes, it has been positively Heaps Bunta (South Australian Oxford Dictionary meaning HUGE!).

This year has also been a great year for new and not so new wine, which I have come across. Even though there has only been just shy of 90 posts this calendar year, it’s been a year when so much has been awesome, and so little being crap; that a good thing! So here are my Top 6 (5 just couldn’t justify) wines of the year in no particular order. You will notice that there is a leaning towards whites. This is by no means a ‘White Power’ salute to white supremacy, just worked out that way I guess.

Mitchell Harris Pyrenees Fumé Sauvignon Blanc 2011 – a recent post on Cooked and Bottled, and a truly great wine. What I loved about this wine is the wonderful nose of dried white herbs of coriander, fennel seed and white pepper. Just love it.

A.Rodda Beechworth Chardonnay 2010 – the first wine produced by Adrian Rodda under his own label. I met and worked with Adrian in 2008 doing vintage at Oakridge in the Yarra Valley and hit off pretty quick with a shared passion for The World Game; I think he still follows Melbourne Victory, me Melbourne Heart. Anyhoo, I smashing debut up in Beechworth.

Bindi Macedon Ranges Original Vineyard Pinot Noir 2006 – What more can I say about Bindi that i haven’t already. This is Australia’s answer to Burgundy. That’s all I’ve got!

Vinteloper Clare Valley Watervale Riesling 2011 – made by possibly the tallest wine maker in Australia, David Bowley producers a beautiful wine loaded with never ending flint and river stone minerality without the predictable lime acid that is known from this part of SA.

Marcel Deiss Alsace Pinot D’Alsace 2010 – a blend of Pinot Gris, Blanc and Auxerre, this wine has beautiful floral notes on the nose and a seductive fullness in the palate that just makes me want more, more and more....

EKK Weissburgunder Südtiroler Pinot Bianco Alto Adige 2010 – a real wine out of left field when I first came across it. Rich and viscous with orange blossom and a tickle of honey, this wine has a real residual feel to it, but this is more from lees stirring that left over sugar. But eat it with rich fatty pork like i did last night. Delicious!!!!

There you have it. If there was a real favourite I think it would be the Mitchell Harris Sauvignon just because it made me fall in love with this much maligned variety all over again. So leave your preconceptions behind and do yourself a flavour favour and get some.

A Must!

2011-12-24T14:25:00.011+11:00

Two weeks ago I flew to Perth for an in and outer – sounds lewd I know – for a mate's 40th. So there I was on the Saturday afternoon with 5 hours to kill and wearing my best Hawaiian shirt and effectively nowhere to go. Staying in the CBD I ventured down to Balthazar, but alas, they were shut. After this I shifted up to St Georges Terrace to Greenhouse, but that was too noisy (and I was the only person there without ink or piercings) with some douff douff or whatever blaring out of the speakers. Fortunately all was not lost and a quick taxi ride (Perth’s traffic lights are possibly the slowest in the free world!!) I was at Must Wine Bar & Restaurant in air conditioned comfort and in the company of the very erstwhile Stefano, Tim and Aaron. Here is where my 5 hour lunch started.

There was so much good stuff that those boys put in front of me; steak tartare, oysters, parfait, pork belly and more stuff and more.... There was also a lot of wine and cider, and it was this gem that was the standout; Piero Mancini Cucaione Vermentino di Gallura from Sardinia. Very Vermentino in the glass with a mature Chardonnay look about it. The nose was a mix of brine and custard; sounds odd but it was all working really well, so well that I reckon I was sniffing it for a good 5 minutes before it past the laughing gear! Like the nose, the mouth was a combination of brine and acid and burnt cream, or crème brulee, and once again it worked and was pretty spot on with the tartare. An awesome day fella's. Thanks for everything!

I made sure before I left the boys that they give me the details of the importer, so expect to see this gooden’ beauty down at Albert Street Food & Wine sometime in the New Year.

Head Brunette Moppa Syrah 2010

2011-12-18T17:27:00.002+11:00

This wine is not built on sun but rather the minerality that is below the ground. The Head Brunette Moppa Syrah 2010 is still very young in the bottle, but speaks to as if it had been around for five or so years. Beautiful and dark in the glass; a perfect example of ox blood if there was one, the Brunette 2010 like the 2009 has a great hallmark of tart red and dark fruit, but none of the JABS characteristics of stewed fruit and blood curdling alcohol. As I said, this wine speaks with a very mineral accent that drives both luscious tannins and squeaky clean acid. Lucky there are 5 bottles left in the 6 pack; needed to see what the little fella looked like!

Drink with rare venison
Drink till 2020
96
Screwcap 13.8%v/v $40ish www.headwines.com.au

Mitchell Harris Pyrenees Fumé Sauvignon Blanc 2011

2011-12-18T11:32:00.006+11:00

This is close to the best wine of the year for me. The Mitchell Harris Pyrenees Fumé Sauvignon Blanc 2011. In past posts I have mentioned that I am an unabashed Sauvignon fan; done right that is and not to a regional formula. So the first thing to say is that I should not be confused with the ‘Savvy Bashes’ and secondly buy this wine. Full of cracked white pepper and fennel on the nose, the palate also too surprises with a crisp and, this next one I had difficulty with, unctuous and almost tangible herbal note to it. This persisted throughout the bottle. The only trouble with this wine was the glass and a bit I left in the bottle for the next day had no impact like the first three. So I went back to Albert Street Food & Wine the next day and picked anotherie up. A truly great Australian example of how to do this grape justice.

Drink with goat’s cheese
Drink till 2013
96
Screwcap 12.5%v/v $24 Albert Street Food & Wine, Brunswick

Best's Great Western Young Vines Pinot Meunier 2010

2011-11-27T21:03:00.004+11:00

This was a real head turner! The Best's Great Western Young Vines Pinot Meunier 2010 is one of the best wines tasted this week and a no-brainer for the new winelist at Albert Street Food & Wine. Gorgeous tart red fruit on the nose and also in the palate, with biting acidity and tame and polite tannins makes this wine a wonderful summer red as well as sticking away for a couple of years I reckon.

Drink with slow cooked kaiserfleisch
Drink till 2015
94
Screwcap 12%v/v about $25

Radford Eden Valley Menagerie 2009

2011-11-26T07:59:00.004+11:00

It's been a while but I'm back.

For the last 2 weeks I have been toiling with constructing the wine list (not only restaurant but also wine retail) for the soon to be opened Albert St Food & Wine in downtown Brunswick. I reckon I have swilled and and garbled and spat out close to 1000 wines, with yesterday accounting for about 150; some crackers, some not so cracking. This one was is a cracker! The Radford Eden Valley Menagerie 2009.

As it says, this wine is a collective of Mataro, Grenache, Shiraz and the earthiness that is Alicante. Deep garnet in the glass with a wonderful smack of sweet morello cherry,spice and dried herbs on the nose, the Menagerie has a real velvet mouthfeel combined with a flavour I cannot quite pinpoint, suffice to say it felt quite meaty in a sweet way - that was a good thing, not bad.

This is such a great wine and pays respect to Southern Rhone with acid balance and spice all at the same time pitching the wild card Alicante in for good measure. A great outcome.

Drink with steak tartar
Drink till 2016
94
Screwcap 14%v/v about $32 at Albert St Food & Wine in 2 weeks

Tim made pork and pistachio sausages

2011-11-07T16:02:00.004+11:00

My first batch of Brunswick-made sausages. And they tasted better than they look....

Pork and pistacio mix
1.5 kg pork neck
300 grams pork fat
80 grams pistachio's, blanched then skinned
20 grams salt
15 grams black pepper
pork casing
1/2 glass white wine

Wine Fact #4 - Temperature matters

2011-11-06T11:51:00.005+11:00

Its too cold. Its too hot. Its too windy. Its too cold. Its too sunny. Yes, as you can see I am from Melbourne. One day its 32°C and the next its 15°C with rain coming in sideways; a temperate split personality you might say. This is typical of Melbourne. Something that is also typical is our wines are served either too cold, as in Riesling or Champagne, or too warm as in Cabernet Sauvignon or Shiraz. This my friends is a wine fact!

How many times have you been to a restaurant and have ordered, say a viognier, and have the waiter present the bottle for taste only to be met with an ice-cream headache instead of ginger or apricots. Most fridges these days are set between 2-4°C because of safety concerns with milk. This may be fine for milk, but it aint fine for viognier, or champagne, or chardonnay or anything wine for that matter. Same to goes with reds. Beaujolais is seen as a red wine – no arguments here. Problem is Beaujolais is best served slightly chilled, so therefore should be stored in an appropriate wine fridge. Same with Madeira. Just cos it’s a fortified doesn’t mean it should be drunk at 25°C – a temperature that a lot of people know as room temperature, which is true. Thing is, room temperature and wine temperature are two vastly different subjects. The average ‘room temp’ for whites is about 8-9°C and red about 15-17°C, not 4°C or 25°C, and that’s a wine fact!

Temp C
36.8° Body temperature
25° Laboratory room temperature
19° Vintage Port
18° Bordeaux, Shiraz
17° Cabernet Franc, Red Burgundy
16° Pinot Noir, Rioja
15° Chianti
14° NV Port/Tawny, Madeira*
13°
12° Rosé, Beaujolais
11° Viognier, Sauternes/Botrytis wine
10°
9° Chardonnay
8° Riesling/Bordeaux Blanc
7° Champagne
6° Ice Wine
5°
4°
3°
2° Fridge Temp
1°
0° Water freezes
-18° Freezer Temp

*Madeira can also be served slightly chilled

Trellis Heathcote Syrah 2009

2011-10-30T11:47:00.002+11:00

Catchy label isn’t it. The Trellis Heathcote Syrah 2009 turns out to be all of that; a Heathcote Shiraz/Syrah with a catchy label. Its dark and peppery and its got dark fruit and there’s a little bit of eucalyptus and the alcohol is prominent and its got a catchy label. Don’t know about calling it Syrah though, because as I said, its very Heathcote. But if you are in Melbourne and are wondering what to drink today, cos its such a crap day and all, this wine will warm you up.

Drink with a steak sandwich and woolly socks
Drink till 2013
88
Screwcap 14%v/v sub $30 I think Blackheart & Sparrows Brunswick

Millton Gisborne Chenin Blanc 2009

2011-10-24T19:47:00.003+11:00

Erin is watching ‘Celebrity Apprentice’ on the dots. This may be my last post ever, because the world must be ending for Erin to be watching such rubbish TV. Better make this one count then. The Millton Gisborne Chenin Blanc 2009. Can you believe it, ‘Celebrity fuckin Apprentice’!!!!! I love Chenin. Problem is that we in Australia tend to stuff it up, so I am usually drinking Vouvray. Not anymore, or not as often anyway. I’ve got Millton from Nelson – but I better hurry up because Arma-fuckin-geddon is around the corner. Closed and tight on the nose, the palate is awash with subtle sugar and perfectly pitched ginger. Do you hear that, sounds like the four horsemen. Just want more.

Drink with my green papaya and beef salad
Drink before the end of the world!!!!
96
Screwcap 13%v/v $26 Blackhearts & Sparrows Brunswick

Tarrington Vineyards Chardonnay 2009

2011-10-22T12:26:00.002+11:00

I’ve been busy. Very busy. In this busy-ness its very easy to miss things, or simply lose track of something. There is one thing in particular that I have not seen, and also missed, and that is Tarrington Vineyards wines from Western Victoria. Its been a few years since Di has put out a wine but this one has been worth the wait. The 2009 Chardonnay is full of chardonnay goodness on the nose with purity of citrus, with grapefruit singing loud. The palate is wonderfully blessed with a squeaky clean minerality note commanding all other flavours – grapefruit and licorice powder the dominant. A great return Di, and to sound mushy, ‘…you were always on my mind.’ And I have no idea who sang that, but no one will miss that!

Drink with snapper cooked in banana leaf
Drink till 2015
96
Quality cork 13.5%v/v $35 Blackheart & Sparrows Fitzroy North

Kidnapper Cliffs Hawkes Bay Chardonnay 2009 Bottle 2230

2011-10-13T14:03:00.004+11:00

One of the best New Zealand chardonnays I have had. Simple! The Kidnapper Cliffs Hawkes Bay Chardonnay 2009 in my mind would quite easily stand-up in a blind test with the best Australia has to offer and quite possibly 1er Cru’s from Puligny and Chassagne, without the price tag. Very floral and creme brulee-ey on the nose, with white oleander a standout with grapefruit primary after pulling the cork. Lovely balance of oak with seamless minerality running down the middle of the palate. Its also interesting to note that this wine has virtually no MLF; sort of uncommon for Kiwi chardonnays I’d suggest. I left it in the glass for about 20 minutes to come closer to room temperature where licorice powder and hints of white peach stood tall. Like I said, one of the best New Zealand Chardonnay’s I have seen.

Drink with rabbit pie – my recipe to come later
Drink till 2016
96
Quality cork 13%v/v $45 Prince Wine Store St. Kilda

Cristom Willamette Valley Sommers Reserve Pinot Noir 2007

2011-10-10T14:31:00.002+11:00

It was a whirlwind in-and-out trip to Perth a few weeks ago, so an impromptu BYO Wednesday dinner was organised for Tuesday, as you do. Like I said, it was a very impromptu dinner, but like so many things organised on the cuff, this one was not to be. I had to drink this on my own. The Cristom Willamette Valley Sommers Reserve Pinot Noir 2007; hey batter batter, soooowing batter!

A label that sees quite a few wine lists and retail shop shelves in Australia, and for a good reason. Pale red in the glass, backed up by the ‘Unfiltered’ statement on the label; the wine was a bit tentative to begin but after a while lovely pink musk stick, cherries and even more pink musk stick came wafting out of the glass. Much later the wine took on a very gamey feel on the nose. As with the nose, the palate was also a bit stilted and flat, so it was off to the decanter where the wine hits its stride. Bacon fat, game and tart red fruit were the obvious notes with still a great whack of acid and just the faintest touch of furry tannins. Great stuff.

Drink with duck and pork sausages
Drink now till 2015
95
Quality cork 13.5%v/v $95 Liquor Baron’s Mount Lawley

Bindi Macedon Ranges Quartz Chardonnay 2004

2011-10-04T14:32:00.004+11:00

Only in bottle size people! The Bindi Macedon Ranges Quartz Chardonnay 2004 in magnum is, actually was, superb! To quote Bleek Gilliam – aka Denzel Washington – from “Mo Better Blues”

“….. I’ll even give up my full season tickets to the New York Knicks… Courtside!
And you know how I feel about basketball, that’s gotta be L-O-V-E!”

Yes, Love. Bleek loves basketball, Romeo loves Juliet, A flower loves the rain and I love Bindi; the Quartz for this particular post. It was just perfect. Oyster shell, clean acid, licorice powder, lively minerality; just perfect. L-O-V-E!

Drink with a loved one
Drink with abandon
100/100
Diam cork 14%v/v

Sunday Bliss

2011-10-02T17:32:00.002+11:00

Its pretty simple really. Gooey chocolate brownie's on a lazy Sunday afternoon made by Erin ....

Andrew Thomas Hunter Valley Sweetwater Shiraz 2009

2011-09-30T11:50:00.001+10:00

Day 1 – a bit clumsy
Day 2 – a bit awesome
The Andrew Thomas Hunter Valley Sweetwater Shiraz 2009 is exactly that. After the first glass, decanted also, it was pretty clear that this wine is not a lazy quaffer but something that needs a little time. Controlled by great dusty tannins, this wine on the second day shows wonderful hints of pepper and spice with a great whack of black olive tapenade sticking at the back of the palate. The best thing I can say about this wine though is that it will definitely better in a few years and brilliant in about 10 years. Pretty simple really.

Drink with five spice roast duck
Drink till 2025
95
Screwcap 13.5%v/v Rathdowne Cellars, Carlton North

Eden Road Canberra/Hilltops ‘The Seedling’ Shiraz 2009

2011-09-28T20:21:00.005+10:00

There is one thing I have found since acknowledging my addiction to wine, and that’s that it is arbitrary. What I think is great, someone else will think is shite. Bit like one persons terrorist is another ones freedom fighter. So wine is arbitrary; just remember that The Princely one next time you have a whack at me!

So, where was I? Yes, the Eden Road Canberra/Hilltops ‘The Seedling’ Shiraz 2009. Quite simply a ripper. Plenty of blackberry and cheery and juice and just a little bit of acid and ever so polite tannins. The best thing though it is $15. $15? Yep, $15. Baaaaarrrgggainnn. It’s a steal, and the best thing is it is not trying to be Cornas or Hermitage or whatever Jonny Rock n’ Roll is waffling on about. It’s just a great wine. And its $15!!

There you go; wine is arbitrary. If you want to go and lick coconut skins then do it. Thats arbitrary too.

Drink with a lamb burger
Drink till 2014
92
Screwcap 14%v/v $15 Blackheart & Sparrows, Fitzroy North

Thierry Violot-Guillemard Pommard Clos de Derriére Saint Jean 1er Cru 2006

2011-09-24T09:33:00.003+10:00

A wine that was enjoyed with two good friends on a recent trip back to Perth for work. The Thierry Violot-Guillemard Pommard Clos de Derriére Saint Jean 1er Cru 2006 is all power and elegance or puissance et elegance as one of my friends kept saying. A wonderfully vinous nose and beautifully structured tannins with a very clear line of minerality, this wine just kept giving and giving, mostly thanks to our waiter who insisted on topping our glasses every 3 minutes! Tart cranberry with a lovely layer of earth and musk, the Clos de Derriére Saint Jean, or The back house of St. Jean, is the type of wine that is good to share with others, but a wine that you only want to give a thimble full to them while you greedily hog the rest. Yes I know - all class, and next time, all mine!

Drink with hare pie; a special that evening at Must Wine Bar & Restaurant, Beaufort St Highgate
Drink till 2018
97
Quality cork 13.5%v/v $$$$

Gérard Tremblay Chablis 2009

2011-09-17T11:55:00.004+10:00

For anyone who has met me, one of the first things people notice is that I am not tall. I am short; 170cm in the vertical – I do hope my kids will be taller than me because I am sick of being the tallest Cohen in the family. I’m short and so is the Gérard Tremblay Chablis 2009 . Its a great little wine on the primary palate but then its gone. Its short, but unlike me its got lovely white flower aromas with a thin line of citrus, mainly grapefruit, holding it together; I don't smell nearly as good. If you are unsure about Chablis and get scared by some of the $$$, then grab a bottle of this; for $30 it’s a great introduction.

Drink till 2012
Drink with scallop ceveche
88
Screwcap 12.5%v/v $30 Blackheart & Sparrows, Brunswick

The Brix Café & Bistrot, Fitzroy

2011-09-16T16:43:00.008+10:00

This is going to be a small and quick post because I have to go and pick my daughter up from her mates place. The Brix Café & Bistrot in Fitzroy is The Dope. Its The Shit. Its The Place. Its The Place Right Now. NOW!!! And it will be the place that will be responsible for me putting all that weight back on that I lost last summer. Beautiful oysters - $10 for 4 thankyou very much! Beautiful black pudding. Beautiful little wine list. Thats all I have. Just go. Beautiful!

The Brix Café & Bistrot
Rear 412 Brunswick Street,
Fizroy VIC 3065

(03) 9417 6114

Wilson Vineyard Clare Valley DJW Riesling 2009

2011-09-11T09:03:00.002+10:00

It’s a character that doesn’t need to be there. Kerosene. It is a bi-product of Terpenes, where exposed fruit gets too much sun after veraison, something that isn’t an issue in the northern hemisphere. But it’s an Australian characteristic so that is cool, or hot, depending where Riesling is grown.

This effectively is my segue to the Wilson Vineyard Clare Valley DJW Riesling 2009. Drunk over two days, the wine initially displayed lovely nashi pear with a piercing lime finish. The next day a very obvious kero aroma wafted from the bottle. Well not really obvious but there none-the-less. I dunno know, but it’s not me. I like the pear. I like the lime. I don’t like the kero. Good day 1. Not so good day 2. For me anyway.

Drink till 2014
Drink with pan fried whiting
89
Screwcap 12.5%v/v $23 Dan Murphy’s Kew

Mitchell Harris Pyrenees Sangiovese 2010

2011-09-09T08:38:00.007+10:00

This for mind is the perfect pizza wine. The Mitchell Harris Pyrenees Sangiovese 2010 contains all the elements of a Friday night footy wine with pizza - cherry ripe fruit without the ripeness, grainy chocolate and a hint of green vegetalness (yes, I made that word up)- a good thing I reckon, along with super chewy tannins which were, and are, perfect with a homemade prosciutto and mozzarella pizza. Cracking stuff Jonno!

Drink with pizza.... der!
Drink till 2015
95
Screwcap 13%v/v http://www.mitchellharris.com.au/
NB not sure on the $$; wine obtained when I won a round through the 'Mitchell Harris' footy tipping comp. And it was when I was in Vietnam!!

Cascina Morassino Barbaresco 2006 DOCG

2011-09-06T10:28:00.005+10:00

Spotted on the 'end of bin' table at Blackhearts a month or so ago, the Cascina Morassino Barbaresco 2006 DOCG was in my mind a no-brainer at $65; as it turned out my brain was right again! A purple ink colour in the glass, this wine after about 30 minutes in the decanter was positively singing with floral and savoury notes as well as bright tart fruit - cranberry my notes say. The palate was definitely showing its age with tort chewy tannins and piercing acidity. When you get passed that, lovely violet, dark cherry and chocolate notes take over but not all the way with the tannins still primary. In hindsight the wine would have been much better in about 4-6 years, but being a lush good things don't always happen to those who wait; they happen when you are impatient too!

Drink with cumin crusted slow roasted shoulder of lamb
Drink 2015-2025+
96
Quality cork 13.5%v/v $65 Blackhearts, Fitzroy North

Xanadu Margaret River Reserve Chardonnay 2008

2011-09-05T19:07:00.003+10:00

On a recent trip to Perth, I popped in to Steve’s Fine Wine and Food – a bit of a favourite – to have a chat with the guys. With no real urgency to leave I purchased an enomatic card to sample some of the wines, but it was the wine that was sitting on the tasting table really had me salivating. The Xanadu Margaret River Reserve Chardonnay 2008.

After a little cosmetic work with the label, The Xanadu brand has more of a sophisticated look about it after what seemed like years in bargain basement wilderness, and this wine certainly lends to that. Straw colour in the glass, the aroma offers the soft and sexy wafts of bees wax and citrus blossom. The palate delivers wonderfully integrated oak; you wouldn’t know it but it’s got 100% barrel ferment – with seamless minerality and acidity held up by more citrus, but no over powering, peach and licorice powder. A great wine.

Drink with pork and prawn Hue pancakes
Drink till 2014
96
Bottle was opened and did not notice closure, but get it at Steve’s Fine Wine & Foods, Nedlands
http://www.steves.com.au

By Farr Geelong Tout Pres Pinot Noir 2008

2011-09-05T16:36:00.003+10:00

An Australian Pinot Noir that masquerades as Burgundy - no shit! The By Farr Geelong Tout Pres Pinot Noir 2008 is as close to pure seduction as I have come across this year; blindingly seductive! Dirty red in the glass, the aroma makes its way to the olfactory in a teasing fashion to wash you over with savoury and earthy notes with a real sense that this is really something from Pommard or Volnay. The palate is all class with just the right balance of soft tannins and acid with dark cherry the bright spot. A truely great wine.

Drink with grilled calves livers
drink till 2017
98
Quality cork 13.5%v/v $110 from Blackhearts Brunswick

Matariki Hawkes Bay Blanc de Blanc 2001

2011-08-28T12:59:00.001+10:00

The Matariki Hawkes Bay Blanc de Blanc 2001. I’ve had this wine twice and twice I have loved it. This bottle is another treat I completely forgot about so when it turned up after a search through the cellar, well you know, woohoo! Heady of thick brioche and developed roasted nuts, this wine has still got a bone dry look about it in the glass and a delicious fine bead; a very well made wine indeed. This is not a wine that you will easily find at your local wine specialist and certainly not at Dan’s or VC’s, so if you are heading over the ditch, or are already over the ditch, search it out because it is a seriously great wine.

Drink with crumbed oysters
Drink till 2015
95
Quality cork and cage 13%v/v $$$?

Bindi Bottling June 2011 - 2010 Original Vineyard, Block 5 and Quartz Chardonnay

2011-08-22T16:04:00.006+10:00

I’ve learnt two things in the past couple of months, one is “don’t let the truth get in the way of a good story” and “its not what you know, its who you know”. I think that’s about all I will say about that.

One thing that is for sure is that Bindi from the Macedon Ranges is mighty fine wine; but you already know that! Just before I took off to Vietnam with the family I headed up the Calder to help bottle the Bindi 2010 Original Vineyard and Block 5 Pinot Noirs and the Quartz Chardonnay. For the 11th time now I have taken the journey up the road and got stuck into some good old fashioned manual labour with 10 or so other Bindi knockabouts and just plain and simply had a great day.

By 7.30am about six of us were milling around the winery ready for the day ahead, and what better way to start then a crisp glass of the Quartz 2010 out of tank. It certainly was a heart starter, and what a way to start the heart; bright, clean, linear and driven by the wonderful mineral soil structure it is grown in. Bill Dhillon was pretty spot-on when he suggested this was the best chardonnay to come out of Bindi.

Just before 10am we were done and dusted with the chardonnay, and now it was the Pinot with the Original Vineyard stepping up to the plate. And with that it was time to taste. Brimming with tart red fruit, the OV 2010 straight out of tank is for me the best since the 06, and that’s big considering the 08 was and is very schmick. The Block 5 was next and quite simply, Amazing!!! Considering this wine was straight out of tank, you could easily say that it was a wine that had spent at least 9 months in the bottle; red and dark fruit, toffee and soft and sexy tannins. A master piece!

One thing that was different this year was bottling all three wines under three different closures; natural cork, Diam and Screwcap. This is so Michael can look at the development of the wines over time and effectively see how much TCA the wines under natural cork will show. I reckon this should be done a bit more by other producers so we can put to bed the ‘natural cork’ sycophants and enjoy all wine, not the 90% of wine that isn’t corked!

Like all bottling days we finished with another beaut lunch from Michaels wife, Wendy. This time it was her Beef Bourgogne; that’s all I’ve got, it was just super. And with this there was more Bindi wine with Michael opening up some back vintage Composition Chardonnay and Pinot Noir and the 2010 Pyrette. Not a bad way to spend a Saturday I’d say!

So there you have it. No truth was harmed in the telling of this story and yes, it is good to know people like Michael Dhillon!

Burn Cottage Central Otago Pinot Noir 2009

2011-08-14T18:22:00.003+10:00

Certainly the Burn Cottage Central Otago Pinot Noir 2009 fits into the Rita Hayworth category; fleshy, seductive and wanted by men (and women) from all over. The thing is though, when you get Rita Hayworth home you want the Rita Hayworth that you have seen on the big screen. This is where the illusion ceases. Plump fruit with spicy dark fruit, The Burn Cottage at the end of the day is a nice wine, but ceterius paribus, this Pinot Noir is very Central Otago and very expensive, and like the grainy photo, it sort of misses the mark.

Drink with medium rump steak
Drink till 2015
88
Cork 14%v/v $80+ City Wine Shop, Spring Street Melbourne

Convenience?

2011-08-14T17:59:00.003+10:00

While picking up some bacon from the Sydney Rd IGA for my 'home cooked' meal a few hours ago, I came across this take-home meal; I seriously think Ken Bruce had gone completely mad, again!!!

Domaine A Stoney Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2005

2011-08-13T08:51:00.004+10:00

In my endeavour as Business Development Manager for Vranken-Pommery-Monopole in Australia, one of my tasks is to go out there and source quality producers for our domestic (including NZ) wine portfolio. Real tough job that one! Over the past twelve months I am happy to say that I have managed to bring in Paradigm Hill, Ostler Vineyards, Blue Poles Vineyard and Vinea Marson. My task is simple; approach producers from each region, represent only one producer from each region, but most importantly approach a producer whom I really like and wine I reeeaaalllyy like. Keep it simple stupid!

So with a good chunk of the mainland and NZ sorted, my attention turned to the apple isle. For me there is one producer down there doing it spot on. All rather there is only one producer I could think of off the top my head whom I would like to represent. Domaine A. Simple. But not so simple. I also believe in not poaching producers from other wine businesses; if they wish to contact me all the good, but I like to think I have some sort of integrity.

Not long ago I posted Domaine A’s 2003 Cabernet, a wine which I believe is Australia’s best Left Bank version; a theory that has met with much guffaw I must say. Anyhoo, Matt from marketing down at Domaine A was kind enough to write me an email thanking me for the write-up. And for the write-up came a bottle of the Domaine A Stoney Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 – with a little Cab Franc, merlot and Petit Verdot. What a Stirling chap!

The wine. Dark and lush in the glass with flowing aromas of chocolate, soy sauce and cherry with licorice coming the longer in the decanter. The palate followed the nose with more cherry and chocolate with coffee imparted at the end. An amazing balance also with the acid and fine and savoury tannins. A winner, no doubt about it!

It’s interesting; however, that Domaine A markets this wine to be drunk early and the flagship wines to be cellared. In an age of second and entry level wines, Domaine A is producing two distinct wine labels that can both be struck in the premium category. Again, simple!

Drink with lamb rack
Drink till 2020
96
Quality cork 13.9%v/v from http://www.domaine-a.com.au/

Vinea Marson Heathcote Syrah 2008

2011-08-04T09:39:00.005+10:00

Words fail me, so I’ll let someone else say it for me. The Vinea Marson Heathcote Syrah 2008…

To the onlie Begetter of these insuing Sonnets. Mr. W.H. All Happinesse. And that eternitie promised by our ever-living poet wisheth the well-living adventurer in setting forth.
T.T.

From fairest creatures we desire increase,
That thereby beauty’s rose might never die,
But as the riper should time decrease,
His tender heir might bear his memory;
But thou, contracted to thine own bright eyes,
Feed’st thy lights flame with self substantial fuel,
Making a famine where abundance lies,
Thyself thy foe, to thy sweet self too cruel.
Thou that art now the world’s fresh ornament
And only herald to the gaudy spring,
Within thine own bud buriest thy content,
And, tender churl, mak’st waste in niggarding.
Pity the world, or else this glutton be,
To eat the world’s due, by the grave and thee.

William Shakespeare; The Sonnets: 1

Drink with steak tartar
Drink till 2024
99
Diam cork 14.5%v/v $46 Purvis Cellars Balwyn and Bistro d’Orsay Collins Street

Victor Gontier Cidre Bouché

2011-08-03T16:46:00.004+10:00

Here I am sitting at home with a sore throat, air cabin ears and Nirvana playing on the iPod – little bit of nostalgia; that makes me sound so old!. So it’s me, the throat and Kurt and I’m thinking what gnarly little delight I have lying around to sooth my whoa’s: the Victor Gontier Cidre Bouché; from France of course.

The mighty fine Stu from North Fitzroy Blackhearts & Sparrows put me onto this (he also got Nicholas Brown from Black Estate in Waipara hooked). It was while I was on a work call with Nicholas when said Nicholas questioned the little ’warning’ sign sticky taped on the fridge below this particular cider. Well the warning sign was there due to a few unsuspecting consumers thinking this badboy was going to be like Strongbow: Oh contraire my learned colleagues! Stu then went on to share with us some of the flavour descriptions some consumers had passed on to him, but it was the elephants piss one that made me want to look at this one. And look at the label, it looks so innocent and harmless; don't know why, but it reminds me of "A Midsummer Night's Dream"

Very cloudy in the glass with a very distinct ammonia smell about it; yes, that’s the funky shit. But wait, it was also in the mouth with an almost wash rind flavour, and dare I say, texture! But I loved it. Erin did not. I don’t know what it was about it but it was really, really good, and did I say I loved it!

Drink with cheese – seriously!
Drink now
$22 4.5%v/v 750mL with a whacky cork and cage closure

Amherst Pyrenees Dunn’s Paddock Shiraz 2009

2011-07-31T21:29:00.005+10:00

A much loved wine as you can see. The Amherst Pyrenees Dunn’s Paddock Shiraz 2009 was a trip down memory lane for me. Way back in 2000/01 I operated ‘Polly’ in Brunswick Street Fitzroy and had this on BTG for almost the entirety I was there. But it has taken 10 years before tasting again. An instant hit of white pepper on the nose followed red and black licorice and black olive tapenade. Very smooth in the mouth with tight and polite tannins and acid with a great mix of red and dark fruit; blackberries most obvious. I loved it, and it will not be 10 years before I have it again.

Drink with homemade pizza
Drink till 2014
93
Screwcap 13.6%v/v $30 Seddon Wine Store

Ravensworth Murrumbateman Shiraz Viognier 2008 and Marco van Basten

2011-07-30T13:17:00.004+10:00

Pedigree. In all aspects of life, pedigree is a major factor to getting it right! Pedigree is raw talent that is moulded from something into something!! But pedigree comes from somewhere; as stated in The Concise Macquarie Dictionary – pedigree /’pɛdəgri/, an ancestral line, or line of descent, esp as recorded: lineage.

Pedigree. It’s where you come from. Just like the Ravensworth Murrumbateman Shiraz Viognier 2008 with Bryan Martin at the helm. And where did Bryan Martin come from (and still works with)? Clonakilla and Tim Kirk. It is safe to say that Tim Kirk is Australia’s main man when it comes to the Côte-Rôtie blend and Bryan Martin has obviously been watching Tim over the years to with his 2008 wine one of the best local Shiraz Viognier’s I have drunk. A lovely mix of fruit and savoury aromas and flavours define this wine with chalky tannins holding it altogether; there’s also a hint of green in the form of eucalyptus, but it is the dark and brooding flavours of olive tapenade and subtle brown spice that keeps me heading back to Dan’s for this gem.

Now if the Ravensworth Murrumbateman Shiraz Viognier 2008 was a footballer, I would suggest that it would come in the form of Holland’s Marco van Basten. Discovered by the Godfather of Dutch football, Johan Cryuff, van Basten was thrust into AFC Ajax Amsterdam as a 19 year old and dominated the centre forward position there until his departure to the powerhouse AC Milan in 1987. It was the following year in the 1988 European Championship where is flower blossomed by not only being the top scorer in the completion, but also being a member of the winning nation and scoring quite possibly the best volley ever. EVER!

Bryan Martin/Tim Kirk:Marco van Basten/Johan Cryuff. Its kismet baby!

Drink with calves livers
Drink till 2015
94
Screwcap 14%v/v $30 Dan Murphy’s Coburg

François Chidaine Les Argiles Vouvray 2008

2011-07-28T17:37:00.003+10:00

Such a sexy wine. In an almost Mills & Boon way this wine grabbed me around the waist and drew me to its plump bosom in a fit of ecstasy! The François Chidaine Les Argiles Vouvray 2008 is quite easily my favourite white for 2011 for the simple reason that it has everything. Pale straw to look at, the wine offers up a hint of tropical fruit on the nose, but that was it. In to the decanter for you then my pretty! After a while a real whack of flint was followed by ripe pineapple and papaya – funky shit right. The palate was where it was for me with a great mix of minerality and sweetness, but it wasn’t like one followed the other. This dance ebbed and flowed between the both, sort of like dancing to The Chemical Brothers and Anne Murray both at the same time; told you it was the funky shit!

All in all, a brilliant Chenin Blanc!

Drink with crumbed lambs brains - an easy Susan!
Drink till 2015
97
Quality cork 13.5%v/v; didn’t put $$ on wine notes sorry, but got it from Blackheart & Sparrows in Brunswick

Shobbrook Wines Seppeltsfield/Barossa Valley Shiraz 2008

2011-07-25T21:09:00.002+10:00

Its winter and I’m not in Vietnam anymore so its Shiraz time. Its Shobbrook Seppeltsfield/Barossa Valley Shiraz 2008. And yes, its cold; the weather, not the wine

Almost black in the glass, the wine lifts in the decanter with a distinct purple hue and black licorice nose. Initially the palate shows tiny grippy tannins that are there then gone before you know it. With the tannins gone a more mineral mouth feel flows with an almost charcoal feel along with more black licorice and a hint of raisin at the back. A real winter red without the JABS.

Drink with rare roast beef
Drink till 2015
93
Quality cork with wax seal 14.5%v/v $42 from Blackheart & Sparrows Brunswick

Wolf Blass Clare Valley/Eden Valley Gold Label Riesling 2005

2011-07-20T20:32:00.007+10:00

I love Riesling. I also love Riesling with some age; the ageier the better I say. Seeing this Wolf Blass Clare Valley/Eden Valley Gold Label Riesling 2005 at Psarakos in Thornbury I thought 'you beauty' - I really did! And $28, another 'you beauty'.

So I'm at home, and with my best Butthead voice, it was time for, 'Beavis, the test!' - my first Beavis and Butthead reference. Nice. But anyway, the wine. Golden in the glass so all good thus far. Prickly ripe pineapple on the nose - 2/2. In the mouth? Blousy, Flabby, Blah. Absolutely nothing that would suggest this is an aged Riesling, even a young Riesling for that matter; no acid or white phenolics either.

But hang on. What happened when I put it in the decanter. Lovely and soft, then almost a brute, and honestly, in a weird way almost tangible. A great wine.

Drink with sole and buerre blanc sauce
Drink till 2015
91
Screwcap 12%v/v $28 Psarakos Market, Thornbury

Home

2011-07-19T17:06:00.006+10:00

Number 64. My home. Our home. After three weeks in Vietnam with family can honelstly say that I am loving the very mild 13 degress right now in downtown Brunswick. Heaps of food, heaps of beer - no wine except for a very ordinary Chardonnay/Chenin Blanc out of the cask from South Africa - heaps of sunburn, now tan, and heaps of everything in between.

Scones and cream

2011-06-13T15:27:00.002+10:00

Scones and cream. What else are you going to do when your plane is cancelled because of a volcano!

Best wine this year!

2011-06-12T17:41:00.002+10:00

Just a brilliant wine and a smashing example of cool climate wine. The Eastern Peake Ballarat Walsh Block Syrah 2008; it’s got it all. Depth of colour, wonderful mix of fruit and black olive tapenade on the nose and seamless balance and weight of acid, tannins and red and black fruit. Like I said, this wine has it all, and drinks perfectly in the cooler months; the feel in the mouth was accentuated by how cold the bottle was.

And one more thing. This is the best wine I have had all year, so it’s no wonder it is one of Jeremy’s, from Seddon Wine Store, favourite wines right now.

Drink with lamb ragu and wet polenta
Drink till 2016
99
Screwcap 13%v/v $42 from Seddon Wine Store in Victoria Street Seddon

Cake and eat it! René Rostaing La Landonne Côte-Rôtie 2001

2011-06-06T20:42:00.007+10:00

Just finished watching Masterchef on tellie and have taken this little gem away from George, ‘So guys, can you have your cake and eat it too?’ Maybe the three in the elimination test but me? Yes George, yes I can. The René Rostaing La Landonne Côte-Rôtie 2001. What a wine; tobacco leaf, violets, pepper – more white than black, figs, musky sweat then mint/chocolate all still evolving around taut acid with just a touch a sweet chewiness. Gorgeously gorgeous and awesomely awesome.

Yes George, I will have my cake and eat it too……

Drink with wagyu carpaccio
Drink till 2017
Drink listening to Dirty Three 'Horse Stories' - both are hauntingly beautiful
100/100
Quality cork 13%v/v $210 from auction in 2008

Pennyweight Beechworth Pinot Noir 2008

2011-06-05T13:41:00.001+10:00

I don’t know why but I’m sort of in a retro/old school way today; listening to the ‘Big Chill’ soundtrack, making spinach and ricotta pie and drinking instant coffee. Something else that sort of falls in to that category is the Pennyweight Beechworth Pinot Noir 2008. All facets for me scream ‘back in the day’ about this wine, and its all good! First the label, stands out a bit doesn’t it. The colour is very much that dirty unfiltered red which is what the wine is and lastly the taste and aroma are just magic; musk sticks, roses petals, red licorice, brown spice and raspberries all melded in to one great wine.

They say retro is back. Where did it go?

Drink with Peking Duck
Drink till 2014
95
Quality cork 13%v/v $42 Gertrude Street Enoteca, Fitzroy

A nice wine - Luke Lambert Heathcote Nebbiolo 2008

2011-06-01T10:55:00.005+10:00

I tried to love it. I wanted to love it. I was told I would love it. I was told I had to love it. I just liked it. The Luke Lambert Heathcote Nebbiolo 2008 is a good wine. It’s a good wine; a really good wine but it’s no Rocche, Conca or Conterni. There’s great tannin and acid structure. There’s pure roses and musk and there’s cherry. It’s a nice wine, but that’s it.

Drink with osso bucco
Drink till 2015
89
Bottle #1102/2918
Diam with wax seal 13.5%v/v $48 Rathdowne Cellars Carlton North

Domaine Lucci Adelaide Hills Merlot 2010

2011-05-30T20:53:00.001+10:00

Been a strange day. Been a strange few days really. Head cold on Thursday. Sinus on Friday. OK Saturday – had dinner at Taxi, so I sort of had to of been. Mucho-Man Sunday – Erin’s birthday but I was still un-well. The thing with the ‘Mucho-Man’ thing is I tried too hard to make it the perfect day and by 3pm when I was about to put the lemon tart in the oven, Boom, I sort of got a bit dizzy and next thing you know I’m in bed not feeling well – again! And if you’re wondering the lemon tart was awesomely awesome!

It’s been a few weird days. But that was what the Domaine Lucci Adelaide Hills Merlot 2010 was like. Green and whacky day one; big and bold on day two; nice on day three and weird and funky on day four.

I really wanted to like this wine because the Pinot Noir version is so Billy Ocean! But here lies the rub, the Merlot is no Pinot Noir here. That’s it!

Drink with beef vindaloo leftovers
Drink not now, maybe in a few years perhaps
88
Diam cork 13.7%v/v $30 Blackheart & Sparrows Brunswick

Hardys Pemberton/Yarra Valley HRB|D643 Chardonnay 2008

2011-05-15T09:37:00.002+10:00

Quote the label: “…continues the tradition of Hardys rich blending heritage” I think you are reading from the wrong manifest Jenkins!

The Hardys Pemberton/Yarra Valley HRB|D643 Chardonnay 2008 – maybe the license plate of the B-double that ferried the juice over the Nullarbor – barely scrapes in as a Jack Dyer wine and is unfortunately headed to the near-sub 80 category. On first glance the wine in the glass has all the hallmarks of a chardonnay; its bone/straw colour and tight and closed nose right away makes me think I have got a bargain from Uncle Dan’s at $28. Oh the fleeting glimpse of joy, with the palate displaying full, heavy and rich and chockers of all that was chardonnay back in 1994 – big and flabby; nuts and creaminess dominate the palate with the notable absence of lemon that is clearly printed on the label. Oh well, never thee mind.

Drink with fondue
Drink now or at a ‘Melrose Place’ party (thats a reference to the early 90’s if you didn’t pick it up)
Near-sub 80
Screwcap 13.5%v/v $28 Dan Murphy’s Coburg

Kidnapper Cliffs Hawkes Bay Syrah 2009 Bottle #1049

2011-05-11T21:00:00.008+10:00

Glee is on so here I am.

This is the one. This is the one. This is the one. This is the one.

There’s no stutter, just that this is the best bottle of wine this year and also the best example of a syrah/shiraz coming out of the “land of the long white cloud”, and that’s big considering up the road there sits Bilancia’s La Colina. No, everyone this is the one. The Kidnapper Cliffs Hawkes Bay Syrah 2009.

A collaboration between Dry River and Te Awa, this first time release to Australia is beyond peer. Sitting almost black in the glass, the wine takes on a whole different guise on the nose with an even mix of white and black pepper with soft and sexy plum and blackcurrant fruit wafting through almost like as if they were strolling past you and saying a polite ”hello”. The longer in the decanter the nose has a very pronounced herbal feel to it which is odd, yet great, but odd. But it was great! The palate delivers super fine tannins with acidity keeping everything in check; the wine sits so soft and gentle in the mouth that all the fruit, tannins, acid and oak are almost seemingly singing the perfect aria. That’s the funky shit!

Just remarkable!

Drink with calf’s liver - a Susan if ever there was one!
Drink till 2025
99
Quality cork 13%v/v $62 at Europa Cellars East Melbourne

Mothers Day 2011

2011-05-08T09:49:00.006+10:00

Mothers Day 2011. The pancakes have been eaten, the tea has been drunk and the hand-made Mothers Day cards have been read – quite impressive I must say from child #1. So with some semblance being restored in down-town Brunswick we come to the important question that has yet to be answered; what champagne/sparkling to open today.

Now I am going to be controversial here and generalise sparkling wine as the drink du jour for Mothers Day. Generally speaking I would suggest that Shiraz, or Crown Lager – depends I guess, as the chosen tipple for Father’s Day, so sparkling to me is a no-brainer for today (you can drink Marlborough Savvy B any day of the week so let’s just not go there today OK!).

In being diplomatic and all, I have chosen one champagne and one Australian sparkling wine. Firstly champagne: the Heidsieck & Co Monopole NV Blue Top. Hailing from Eperenay, this wine is an assemblage of 70% pinot noir, 20% chardonnay and 20% pinot meunier, this champagne takes a different path than the clean and linear chardonnay dominant wines. Sitting in the glass, the colour is ever so slightly soft salmon pink. The aroma strays between subtle pink grapefruit with the slightest hint of cranberry – I reckon anyway. In the palate this wine becomes a bit larger or heavier in the mouth, but not sweeter; 9g/L residual sugar still puts it in the Brut category by some margin. The fullness or richness for me stems from the abundance of red fruit which impasses a greater impression of red fruit, but subtle all the same.

The second wine is the Bindi Macedon Ranges Chardonnay Pinot Noir Extended Lees Aged 2003 sparkling wine. Yes I can almost hear the exasperated sighs, ‘of you are such a Bindi slut Tim’. Well yes, I am, we know this so get over it ok! This wine is quite simply one of the best Australian sparkling wines you will see. Big call I know, and possibly slightly impartial, but by golly this wine is fantastic. A wonderful mix of brioche, preserved lemon and cashews with pitch-perfect acid, this wine is great now but definitely worth a look at over the next 10 years I’d say.

There you have it. Two wines worthy of any Mothers Day breakfast or lunch. Happy Mother’s Day ladies.

Heidsieck & Co Monopole NV
Drink with blueberry pancakes
Drink now
92
Cork 12%v/v $54 Vintage Cellars Richmond

Bindi Macedon Ranges Chardonnay Pinot Noir Extended Lees Aged 2003
Drink with seared scallops and marron
Drink till 2013
95
Diam cork 12%v/v $46 Rathdowne Cellars in Carlton and Steve’s Fine Wine and Foods in Nedlands

Blue Poles Margaret River Teroldego 2009

2011-05-01T12:42:00.006+10:00

Once in a while you get a wine that raises eye brows. It could be because it’s biodynamic, or because it’s a blend of Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris or because the winemaker is blind – true story; Mountford in Canterbury NZ. However, this eye brow raise is because when I mentioned this grape to a few wine industry professional, the common response was, ‘Terol-what’.

That’s right, Teroldego. Native to Alto-Adige in Trentino NE Italy, Teroldego has a little over 4 acres –just under 2 hectares – under vine in Australia. Three of these acres are planted in Osmington, Margaret River in the Blue Poles vineyard. So here it is, the Blue Poles Margaret River Teroldego 2009.

Where to start. Because of its eye brow raising attributes, I will let Nicholas Belfage introduce the variety:

“Teroldego is called the “prince” of Trentino red wines, prized for its elegance, complexity and harmony. Overcropped, as it often is, it can be very ordinary, at best a pleasant wine for drinking early. But in the hands of a quality producer it can reach impressive heights of breeding and concentration.... These days the undisputed top producer of Teroldego is Elisabetta Foradori of Mezzolombardo.”

The last sentence is where the Australian connection starts. It is from Elisabetta Foradori where the cuttings came from to propagate the Margaret River Teroldego plantings; pretty good lineage if you ask me. But we are here for the wine right?

One of the deepest ‘red’ colours in a glass of wine I have ever seen, sort of like ‘blood in the moonlight’ in colour; yeah, I know that’s the funky shit. The nose is a real head turner with obvious characteristics of Nebbiolo and Sangiovese – ripe plum, mulberry, dust, leather, tobacco, violets and tar just to name a few. Tight and fine grippy tannins greet the palate with some tart raspberry thrown in. The longer in the glass the tart raspberry fades in to a sweet mulberry feel with the acid and tannins still pulling all of the strings. This is a real special wine.

This is produced in small quantities; tiny really. So if you see it give it a go because it will not sit around on the shelf for too long.

Drink with lamb ragu on wet polenta
Drink till 2020
96
Screwcap 14%v/v $32 at The City Wine Shop or by the glass at Grossi Florentino’s Cellar Bar

Saturday bliss

2011-04-30T16:29:00.002+10:00

Marintaed white anchovies from Gervasi on Sydney Rd. From the pen of Jon Bon Jovi, they are slippery when wet and washed down with a beer too boot! Just bliss.

Chaos

2011-04-30T10:58:00.002+10:00

“Chaos theory is a field of study in applied mathematics, with applications in several disciplines including physics, economics, biology, and philosophy. Chaos theory studies the behavior of dynamical systems that are highly sensitive to initial conditions; an effect which is popularly referred to as the butterfly effect. Small differences in initial conditions (such as those due to rounding errors in numerical computation) yield widely diverging outcomes for chaotic systems, rendering long-term prediction impossible in general. This happens even though these systems are deterministic, meaning that their future behavior is fully determined by their initial conditions, with no random elements involved. In other words, the deterministic nature of these systems does not make them predictable. This behavior is known as deterministic chaos, or simply chaos!” Helge von Koch.

Do I have your attention or what that just too much? Latter I would suggest.

Chaos. It’s either understood as above or in simpler terms, as Alfred E. Neuman put, Chaos is Mad! For me chaos is when things just go slightly sideways, you know, just plain wrong. This was put to the case recently with my curiosity of the Bobar Yarra Valley Syrah 2010. Interesting I thought. Actually the first thing that popped in my head was ‘Bobo’ of ‘Mad Pizza’ fame; do you see where it’s heading!

So I get home, open it up and am instantly hit with a massive whack of sulfur, as you can see in the photo. I decant the wine and my goodness, it was like a washing machine. I’m tipping it had been bottled either the night before or their sulfur ratio’s may have had an extra 0 on the end. At the end of the day we had to decant back in the bottle and leave it for 24 hours; it was just to , well, sulfury.

Next day the sulphur had died down but what was there was what i would describe as Syrah Nouveau; bit like Beaujolais Nouveau if you catch my drift. The colour was good, but the nose and the palate were all very one dimensional with red licorice and nothing else. Oh yeah, lots and lots of acid too.

This is maybe a wine for a few years or a wine for the ever curious Gen Y who want different things all the time. Bit like chaos theory if you know what I mean.

Drink with hash browns and tomato sauce
Drink till when it makes sense
Near sub 80
Screwcap 12.5%v/v $27

Tommy Ruff Barossa Valley Shiraz Mourvédre 2009 and a very, very long weekend

2011-04-26T16:47:00.003+10:00

It’s almost over. The longest long weekend in living memory is as good as done. After what seemed an eternity in the car driving back from Aireys Inlet and a detour through Footscray thanks to some dopey cement truck driver on the Bolte Bridge lost his load and closed it both ways on one of the busiest ‘coming home’ days in, as I said, living memory.

Yes it was rough. So while sitting in traffic just out of Geelong I was thinking about wines that have been, well rough, and the wine that could double as a traffic snarl is the Tommy Ruff Barossa Valley Shiraz Mourvédre 2009. Now don’t get me wrong, this is a very good wine, but without decanting or food, this wine will be seen as nothing but mouth torture. Made by Tom Shobbrook – bit of a favourite for me right now – from fruit coming from Western Barossa, this wine is pure and simply a food wine. Deep crimson in the glass and a brooding mix of ash, dust and brambly fruit, it is in the palate that this bad boy hits its straps. Tonnes of tannin and acid with olive tapenade and licorice more than plentiful; it’s by no means a JABS, but it does need respect.

So there you go. A belter, but just keep it out of the right lane OK; needs plenty of time in the left side of the highway.

Happy Easter and of course, lest we forget.

Drink with bloody rib eye
Drink till 2014
93
Screwcap 14.5%v/v $30 Seddon Wine Store, Victoria St Seddon

For Nick - Scorpo Mornington Peninsula Noirien Pinot Noir 2010

2011-04-16T09:01:00.003+10:00

In my last post I had a request for more dirty laundry and sub 80 wine scores. The dirty laundry bit I guess is something that needn't be aired; I'm trying to build a wine business, not torpedo it. The sub 80 wines; for me it’s, "if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all." But what I can do Nick is 'near sub 80' scores. And with that we have another tag line. Hooray!

So Nick, you’re in luck. In going through my ‘wine photos’ file this morning I have come across quite a few wines that fit in to the 'near sub 80', and here is where we kick it off. The Scorpo Mornington Peninsula Noirien Pinot Noir 2010. I reckon I have bypassed this wine at Dan’s a good dozen times; don’t know why, just never reached out for it I guess. So on the occasion I do grab it the realisation of why I didn’t grab it is there in spades.

In the glass the wine is almost rosé in appearance and the nose has an instant hit of strawberry. And that’s it. The palate mimics the nose with primary strawberry and what I believe is a relatively high residual sugar dose – very sweet. Once again I look at the wine and ask myself whether it’s supposed to be a rosé; dunno is all I’ve got.

There you have it Nick, one for you.

Drink with minute steak
Drink now
near sub 80
Screwcap (I think) 13.5%v/v $25 Dan Murphy’s Coburg

Surveyor Thomson Central Otago Pinot Noir 2007

2011-04-10T10:18:00.022+10:00

This is the best Central Otago Pinot Noir I have had for years! The Surveyor Thomson Central Otago Pinot Noir 2007 has all the characteristics of a pinot noir that hasn't been made in CO; it's got finesse, thus lacking in CO; it's got super fine tannins holding up elegant and tart fruit, something CO pinot noir has lacked I believe due to the warm to hot growing conditions towards the end of vintage. But it's all objective right, and I'm just a blogger who hasn't any idea what they are talking about. So says the sommelier-come-wine maker (sic) in their email to me earlier this week; but I'm not going to air my dirty laundry in this medium.

Geez, where did that come from! Anyhoo, the wine. Dirty red in the glass with a wonderful and secondary waft of aroma's floating up; brown spice, toffee with a touch of tart cranberry; wonderful and long in the palate with the acid still holding everything together with ease. A super wine, but very rare in Melbourne.

Drink with BBQ quail
Drink till 2017+
97
Screwcap 13.5%v/v $50 Tony's Cellars, Ryde NSW www.surveyorthomson.co.nz

Canella Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore and Justin Bieber

2011-04-05T20:46:00.011+10:00

I just cannot believe the hype. Didn't really want to in the first instance (I am a champagne lush didn't you know). Prosecco. All the rock stars are doing it right now. I just can't subscribe unfortunately. The Canella Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG is almost off-bone in clarity, almost translucent actually. The bead is quite effervescent with an almost violent rush from bottom to top - bit like a Justin Bieber crowd sighting their idol. Wow, a Justin Bieber reference! Anyway, the wine in the mouth is dull - just like Justin Bieber's music! Ha Ha.

We will try again. The palate is clean and simple and lifeless; quite briny actually. And that is what remains. Dull briny fizzy stuff - no Justin Bieber references sorry.

Just to prove that I am not a Justin Bieber fan I'm listening to Radiohead's new album, 'The King of Limbs', with 'Morning Mr Magpie' now playing.

Drink with popcorn
Drink now
80
Cork 11%v/v $25 Blackheart and Sparrows Brunswick

One last thing. Thats not Justin Bieber in the background, thats my son Henry. He to does not suffer from the 'Bieber Fever' also.

Cheerio

Hào Phong, 136 Hopkins St Footscray

2011-03-28T19:46:00.010+11:00

Its 7.30ish on Monday night. So of course I’m in the study typing out a post. Not only is ‘Glee’ on, but it’s on Oprah; Glee and Oprah – TV gold, yeah-nah!

So as I said, I’m in the study and writing a post. Something about wine; like before – yeah-nah. Instead of wine I think, how about food. In just 94 days, me and the family will be heading north to sweaty Vietnam for a 22 day trek from south-to-north. To get everyone ‘tummy-ready’ we have decided to go nuts on Vietnamese food. So first stop Footscray!

With a recommendation we head to Hào Phong on Hopkins Street -136 to be precise. On our way there we see another Vietnamese restaurant that has a few people inside (no Vietnamese – what was I thinking) so we chanced our arm. Big mistake. Looking down the menu read of the best from the 70’s & 80’s – beef and black bean, sweet and sour pork, Mongolian beef. Just to be safe we thought we’d order some rice paper rolls. The reply, ‘sorry, they have not defrosted yet’. You can imagine the awkward silence. With our apologies we bidded our farewell and legged it to Hào Phong. It was only 5.45pm.

We arrive for the second time and manage to get a table for 4. Ten minutes later there is a line at the door – good timing. The menu’s come and it looks awesome – AWESOMELY AWESOME!!!! And if you’re wondering, there are no photos of food, just us eating it!

We order in 10minutes and it as follows:

• 1. Prawn and chicken rice paper rolls $7.00 for 4
• 10. Satay chicken on skewers, or chicken on a stick for my 2 year old son Henry - $4.50 for 2
• 99. BBQ pork with vegetables with plum sauce - $13.80
• 141. Scallops with ginger and shallots - $19.80
• 1. Prawn and chicken rice paper rolls $7.00 for 4 …. again
• Special - Shallow fried soft shelled crab - $18.80 for 4. That’s right, 4!!!!

Not a rice dish in sight I tell ya! All this and a bottle of Tsing Tao beer. The bill arrives and we are $88 lighter – plus tip.

There’s only 94 days to go but I can bet you we will be back a few times before we head off. And I would book. As I said, by 6pm there was a line. What a place!!

Hào Phong is my 1st ‘Hooters chicks with Birks’ rating

Where – 136 Hopkins Street Footscray 9689-8373

By the way, thanks Ronnie for the recommendation. Bisou Bisou!

Clonakilla Murummbateman Syrah 2006 and Ryan Giggs

2011-03-26T11:08:00.003+11:00

Oh the joys of luxury!!

Just imagine if your wage represented $250,000 a week! Just think of all of the goodies you could get your hands on:

• A new pair of undies everyday
• A house far away from the northern suburb hoons
• Your own private carriage on the Dandenong line
• No more ‘home brands’ in the shopping trolley
• Lots of super wine!

Yes it is lovely to imagine all the things you could do with all that cash. Ryan Giggs would know. He’s been on that coin for a long, long time. And rightly so I say. Possibly one of the best players of his generation, and that generation has been going since 1991 when he made his senior debut with Manchester United. So that not only makes him one of the best in his generation but in also the two subsequent generations that have followed, and he just signed on for the 2011-12 season. Silky skills, super temperament, born leader; just a few qualities the hairy one has.

Now if Ryan Giggs was a wine he would undoubtedly be the Clonakilla Murrumbateman Syrah 2006. Simply a wine of its generation with very few peers. Gorgeously long on the nose and also in the palate with licorice, white pepper and subtle hints of tart red fruit. This is almost like the question of what came first – the chicken or the egg. Either way these two have, and will, outlast the completion.

Drink with steak tartare
Drink till 2020+
98
Quality cork 14%v/v $60 mailing list back in 2008

Henry's Drive Parsons Flat Padthaway Shiraz Cabernet 2006

2011-03-25T10:22:00.003+11:00

JABS JABS JABS JABS JABS JABS JABS!!!

It says 15%v/v on the back of the label. If this wine is below 16%v/v I'll go hee! The Henry's Drive Parsons Flat Padthaway Shiraz Cabernet 2006 . What do you say. Too much fruit. Too much alcohol. Too much. This is a wine that would have been really good in 1988.

Drink with well done steak
Drink now
70
Cork 15%v/v $?

McWilliams Mount Pleasent Hunter Valley Semillon 2010

2011-03-21T20:07:00.006+11:00

It's humid again in Melbourne. I don't like humidity. I don't like Melbourne humidity. Three solutions:

1. leave
2. drink cider
3. drink Semillon

3 it is! Tonight anyway.

You see this summer has been really one long warm Autumn with plenty of humid days; an old school Melbourne summer day you might say. What I have done to try and quell this is to either have a cider or glass of semillon in my hand. Both are clean and crisp and way too easy to drink.

So here is the McWillimas Mount Pleasent Hunter Valley Semillon 2010. An almost water like clarity in the glass. Plenty of acid and citrus on the nose with the acid really obvious in as much that it is tickling my nasal hairs - too much info right? Lovely and clean on the palate with a combination of fresh and preserved lemon coming through and just a smidge of lanolin there as well. Such a good wine; three glasses in!

Drink with kingfish sashimi
Drink till 2017
91
Screwcap 11.5%v/v $16 Dan Murphy's Coburg

Jalapeño

2011-03-13T14:40:00.001+11:00

Just got these beauties from the back yard before we get hit with more rain.

S.C. Pannell Adelaide Hills Nebbiolo 2007

2011-03-13T08:24:00.006+11:00

"what foul dust floated in the wake of his dreams that temporarily closed out my interest in the abortive sorrows and short-winded elations of men."
- F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

I'm bleary eyed this morning. It's not because I tied one on last night - that would be Friday nite. I'm bleary eyed this morning because I had a really restless nite sleeping. You see I had this dream where I was the 'Great Gatsby', Robert Redford version, and I was there in the Long Island mansion swanning around with a bevvy of beauties and a herd of hangers-on. My attention really got going in this dream when all of the sudden one of the said beauties was dancing ona table holding a bottle of S.C. Pannell Adelaide Hills Nebbiolo 2007; thats the funky shit!

So today as I sit at the kitchen counter, I am reading in peace yesterdays and todays The Age newspaper, and I read not one but two articles with reference to 'The Great Gatsby'. Am I still dreaming or am I actually writing this?

So, onto the wine then. It wasn't that long ago that I pulled one of these out of my cellar. A dark and dirty reddish purple in the glass with lovely and dependable aroma's of rose petals, cherries and a leather the longer it sits in the decanter. Lip smacking tannins give way to big and full fruit, but not ripe fruit; tart and crisp instead. It's a great example of a very good Nebbiolo being made in Australia.

Drink till 2022
Drink with braised goat
92
Screwcap 14.0%v/v $50 Dan Murphy's Hawthorn East

A very unfake beer - Yebisu The Hop

2011-03-11T09:30:00.001+11:00

Being true to this beer I think the only way to do this beer justice is to post it in its native tongue. So here we go...

このビールにビール正義を行うには唯一の方法は、母国語で投稿するだと思います。だからここに行く.

確かに非常に unfake ビール。そうねえ黒心可鍛鋳鉄とスズメの良い人は良いです。単に幸せ Peroni と朝日に実質をもたらす、BHS 今この小さな宝石出土しています。プレミアム恵比寿、ホップどこかから日本で。麦芽と豊かな、非常に多くの私の最初のビールのクラッシュ、キウイラガー 1987年年頃このずんぐりしたことができます上部に座って、ずんぐりした小さな野郎がすべてです思い出させて体について-はの絶対に何もこのビール-短長、と多くの深さ-非常にバイエルンと言うでしょいます。陽気な良いものためる
5.1%v/v 4. 50 ドルから黒心可鍛鋳鉄とスズメ

Bindi obsession?

2011-03-07T15:13:00.006+11:00

Yes. I. Love. Bindi wines. Just cannot help myself. And this was no let down either. The Bindi Chardonnay Pinot Noir Extended Lees Aged sparkling 2003. That's all I got really; simply superb!

Drink with butter fried marron
Drink till 2020
97
Diam cork under cage 12%v/v www.bindiwines.com.au

Coombend Tasmanian Pinot Noir 2007

2011-03-07T00:47:00.005+11:00

When the next morning greets you with a headache and many, many empty bottles with two children wanting breakfast at 6.30am the obvious line sneaks into the subliminal - I'm never ever going to drink again! You know you've heard it, don't deny it. Anywhoo, one of those empties was the Coombend Tasmanian Pinot Noir 2007 from the Freycinet coastline. The notes were scribbled on a post-it and quite illegible but this is what I got; very chalky red in the glass with plenty of feral and earthy aroma's wafting up the olfactory. Almost too pleasent sweet fruit of red licorice, raspberries and strawberries; the nose does not bely the palate.

This wine I think will benefit from having it on its own and not with another 14 bottles!!

Drink with roasted pork belly
Drink till 2014
90
Screwcap 13.5%v/v bought somewhere on Sydney Rd Brunswick

Domaine Lucci Adelaide Hills Pinot Noir 2010 by Lucy Margaux Vineyards

2011-03-05T09:42:00.006+11:00

Meet my new best friend. The Domaine Lucci Adelaide Hills Pinot Noir 2010 by Lucy Margaux Vineyards has in the past two weeks been emptied three times here in downtown Brunswick, which suggests that I either start buying in bulk or start bribing Blackheart and Sparrows, cos I have no doubt that there will be more clanking of this wine in my recycled bin in the coming weeks.

Quite striking to look at, the label to me is part Donnie Darko, part oh-so-Brunswick and part Winston Salem if you know what I mean. In the glass the wine looks the part with a chalky and dusty looking red thanks to a minimalistic approach in the wine making. You wouldn't pick this for a young wine with already forward notes of tart cranberry and raspberry all married together with racey acid and grippy finish, yet not overly grippy.

Whatever you do, do not 'not' buy this wine. It's a fair dinkum ripper!

Drink with assiette of lamb
drink till 2017
98
Diam cork with wax seal 13.8%v/v $32 Blackheart and Sparrows Fitzroy North and Brunswick

Sassingo Fattoria Casablanca IGT,Tuscany 2007

2011-02-27T12:39:00.006+11:00

It's $21 so it shouldn't be fantastic right? Wrong, wrong, wrong and wrong! Such a great wine and such a great price. The Sassingo Fattoria Casablanca 2007 from Tuscany is a 50/50 blend of Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon and uses both varieties fantastically with the Sangiovese delivering savoury tannins and bitter chocolate and the Caberent supplying subtle brambly fruit as well as tannins and a ripper cassis nose.

I guess I'm lending a line from the Vermentino blog, but when you want something authentic and an insight in how it's done traditionally, go to the source.

Drink with lamb shanks
Drink till 2016
93
Cork 13.5%v/v $21 Enoteco Sileno, Lygon Street Carlton

Wine fact #3: Retsina

2011-02-26T12:09:00.004+11:00

“You there! Drawn onwards through this stretch of Hell, tell me you know me. Say so, if so you can. You! Made as man before myself unmade.’
And I replied: ‘The awful pain you feel perhaps has cancelled from your memory. Till now, it seems, I’ve never ever seen you....
Dante Alighieri, canto 6 40-46, Inferno

You may think that this is about extreme, but I do not. It all really started back in 2002 and it was my first trip to Wagga for Res School at Charles Sturt University where I had just started Wine/Vit science. And one of the first units involved wine evaluation with Malcolm Allen. The usual stuff was looked at; pH, alcohol, clarity of wine, baumé and other fascinating wine tid-bits. Then he gave us some Retsina or Ρετσίν in Greek. Gosh it was awful. I’m not sure what the lesson was, but whatever it was the message was duly noted; Retsina is to be avoided. To this day I have not, and doubt if I ever will, had good Retsina. This is what Wikipedia has to say about it...
“Its unique flavor is said to have originated from the practice of sealing wine vessels…”
Unique flavour indeed. You’d think that they would have got it right after 2000 years wouldn’t you?

So then, Retsina is not a nice wine, and that’s a wine fact!

Chalmers Mildura Vermentino 2009

2011-02-25T16:45:00.004+11:00

I really tried to get excited about this wine. Actually, all I wanted to do was try it for myself; you know, form one’s own opinion. In the end it was nice. Nice citrus, nice acid; nice. You see I had to try for myself because a couple of weeks ago I was listening to a young wine shop assistant come wine expert tell me that this has got to be the best release of the year. Wow I said, that’s pretty big wraps. Then I asked what she liked about the wine, and I quote, ‘Oh I haven’t had it yet, it’s just what Sally from Cutler & Co told me. She reckons it’s the best ever Verm (she actually said Verm!)’ Riiiighhhtttt!

So if you are one of the herd out there, go and buy it on someone else’s opinion, or otherwise check out an Italian Vermentino from either Mediterranean Wholesalers or Sileno Enoteca and then try the Chalmers Mildura Vermentino 2009 and then have an opinion.

NB said wine expert does not work at Blackheart and Sparrows

Drink with grilled sardines
Drink till 2014
86
Screwcap 11.5%v/v $25 Blackheart and Sparrows Brunswick

Spring Vale Freycinet Tasmanian Pinot Noir 2006 and Michael Owen

2011-02-19T12:15:00.010+11:00

It’s another humid start to the weekend and I’m sitting down the back with ‘The Age’ listening to my kid’s sort of fight and giggle all in the one guise. So I’m reading the paper and a story on the upcoming cricket world cup in the sub-continent grabs my attention. The story is focused on ranking the teams and discussing key players. But it is the last column that has me scrunching up my face, ‘If they (the cricket nation) were a curry they’d be...’ Give us a spell.

Gimmicks. They’re everywhere. But I have gimmicks too. Oh my, I’m part of the 'scrunchy face’ epidemic. Yep, if you can’t beat them....

So with this I ponder my next gimmick, and it is, ‘If this wine were a Football player, who would they be?’ the football in this case is the real football, the world game, or soccer as you may regard it. Yes I know it is sort of tacky, but hey, whatta ya going to do? It won’t be on every post, just ones where I’ve got the itch.

The Spring Vale Freycinet Tasmanian Pinot Noir 2006. I reckon it had been about 10 years since I have had one of these wines, with their Gewurtz being a regular in the fridge. But that was long ago. Now Tasmania I guess isn’t as cutting edge that it used to be 10 or so years ago. Don’t get me wrong, they make great wine, but now when I want something new I look to Vermentino or Waitaki Valley or Hawkes Bay Syrah.

The wine has a very Pinot Noir look about it in the glass with a pink/ruby transparency going on. The nose has a blend of macerated strawberry with a subtle touch of earthiness. So far so good right? The first sip is still holding on to a sliver of acid and primary fruit of strawberries and sweet plums. Then it was over. The wine ceased to be. There was really nothing left in it but a rather dull dry red wine. In hindsight the wine was probably passed its best, somewhere around 2009 I reckon (tasted Jan 22, 2011), but at $34 from Dan’s I thought it would be good to have a look. Oh well.

Now this raises the question: if the Spring Vale Pinot Noir were a football player, who would they be? Michael Owen. Ten years ago this guy was safe to say at the peak of his powers. World Cup at the age of 18 – France 1998 where he scored that exquisite goal against Argentina - £45,000 a week pay check and the world at his feet. But that was his problem, his feet. After years of stress fracture problems in his feet, Michael Owen was off-loaded to Real Madrid – not a bad destination, but he did virtually nothing there, thanks to more injuries. After that it was Newcastle United and now Manchester United; two great clubs but only a bit part player at best. We loved you Michael, but your best is behind you.

Drink with BBQ lamb burger
Drink three years ago
82
Screwcap 13.5%v/v $34 Dan Murphy’s Hawthorn East

Saturday morning

2011-02-19T10:15:00.006+11:00

I love Saturday mornings. I love coffee on Saturday mornings and I really love breakfast tarts on said mornings. I love you The Brunswick East Project xxooxx

Mitchell Harris Pyrenees Shiraz (little bit of viognier) 2008

2011-02-14T19:57:00.003+11:00

... then there are things that are just really good. The Mitchell Harris Pyrenees Shiraz (little bit of viognier) 2008 is just plain and simple really bloody good. Sitting dark in the glass, really dark, the wine has an instant hit of white pepper, blackberries and my all time favourite, mulberries – I’ll tell you all about the massive mulberry tree in my back yard in South Fremantle another time. It took me a while to actually have a sip of this wine thanks to my little boy Henry refusing to go to sleep on his own, so I lay down with him and hey presto, I’m asleep as well. So then I wake up and yum; fine tannins, lip smacking minerality followed by more blackberries and mulberries. Super job Mr Harris – bravo!

Drink with rib eye roast – rare
Drink till 2018
97
Screwcap 13.5%v/v $30 take away from Wine Bank on View, Bendigo

Dumanoir Cidre de Normandie, France

2011-02-13T15:14:00.002+11:00

I’m not going to say, ‘... so far my favourite cider for the summer’ again, because that is getting to be rather repetitive wouldn’t you say. The Dumanoir Cidre de Normandie ticks all the right apple boxes; beer colour, applely aroma and super dry and tart in the mouth with a great finish of dried herbs. Just great really!

Drink now
Drink with prosciutto and melon salad
Cork and cage seal 4.5%v/v $11.90 for 750mL at Dan Murphy’s Hawthorn East

Powdery mildew

2011-02-13T13:59:00.004+11:00

As all Melbournians will attest, this summer has been one wet weekends and humid nights. No doubt has the wet been good for our gardens and catchments, but the humidity has been rather unpleasant and it has been these humid conditions that our Crepe Myrtle - Lagerstroemia – has succumbed to Powdery mildew.

Powdery mildew or Uncinula necator is disease mostly common in viticulture when the conditions in the canopy are humid and dense. It is a disease that may overwinter inside dormant buds which enables the fungus to infect shoot growth in spring, and in very humid conditions look like these pictures. Because this part of the tree does not get a lot of direct sunlight, virtually none actually, and constant humidity and temps of around 25°C-29°C have been common this summer, Powdery mildew has gone nuts in this case.

Right now there is not a lot to do, so it is next year you have to think about. Once leaf fall happens use a wettable sulphur spray, and if you are worried about it not being good for the environment don’t worry; this is an organic substance and you can get uber friendly sprays from your local garden centre. If it is a real problem throughout your tree/shrub/grapevine what you will need is a systemic fungicide.

So, if you are coming around to mine for a BBQ, don't go sniffing around the back of my Crepe Myrtle for a look-see cos' any spores that are still present could stray onto your trendy boat shoes and settle on your award winning Fycus!

Punch Yarra Valley Close Planted Pinot Noir 2006 (II) and crispy skin duck

2011-02-06T13:20:00.008+11:00

Lauren Bacall on Humphrey Bogart, “For myself, I can only say that he changed me. He was my teacher my husband, my friend. In his life and his work, Bogey was integrity, truth, and courage. He taught me how to live. That it was okay to trust. He taught me to keep going no matter what. He did. And he is.”

You get the jist; they were soul mates. Just like duck and Pinot Noir I guess. And it was Friday night in downtown Brunswick in my little kitchen that I introduced Punch Yarra Valley Close Planted Pinot Noir 2006 to my crispy skin duck with tarragon lentils with baby carrots braised in white wine and butter with fennel seeds – cue wocka wocka music now.

It’s no secret that I am a huge fan of Punch wines – Huge! It is safe to say that I am also a big fan of duck. So why has it taken me so long to figure this little union out? Buggered if I know. Needless to say, the wine was just sexy as (my last six pack is now a five pack) with layer upon layer of toffee, bacon fat, delicate violets and just simply gorgeous and quite frankly perfect. And the duck; cooked to perfection (i just had my oven fixed the following day after being without her for close on three months). There’s nothing else to say really.

Drink with the above dish
Drink till 2021
100/100
Screwcap 13.5%v/v $75 mailing list three years ago

John Kepplers Premium Apple Cider, Ireland

2011-02-05T09:05:00.002+11:00

Like I’ve said, its a cider revolution. Not long ago Erin, who is also a recent convert, took a trip to Uncle Dan’s to grab some cider. Not knowing exactly what she wanted Erin duly grabbed an armful of the stuff for a little tasting session at home. This was my favourite. The John Kepplers Premium Apple Cider, Ireland, which happens to come in a big-arse can, looks like a flat beer in the glass – not very appealing I know – but pretty soon a great waft of apple (der), cinnamon and a bit of smokiness which very much reminded me of my Nanna’s apple pie. The real joy was that this cider did not suffer from the sugar hit that most of the others did, and instead having a tart, dry finish. Top notch this one.

Drink with BBQ pork chops
Drink now
Can 6%v/v $4.90 at Dan Murphy’s Preston

Chateau De Caraguilhes Corbières Languedoc Blanc 2009

2011-01-29T13:57:00.010+11:00

So far the pick of my summer wines this year. The Chateau De Caraguilhes Languedoc Corbieres Blanc 2009 was realised this week after I had a hankering for Tahbilk Marsanne but unfortunately the good folk at BHS didn't have any. Instead they had this beauty. A blend of 80% Marsanne and 20% Grenache Blanc, in the glass the wine has a very young Riesling-like colour to it yet the nose is full of generous honey and burnt creme brulee. The palate also enjoys what the nose has to offer, but only after a while - this wine takes along time to get moving in the glass. But besides that it was just gorgeous.

Drink with veal schnitzel and almond, rocket and mustard dressing salad
Drink till 2013
96
Quality cork 13%v/v $24 Blackheart and Sparrows North Fitzroy

Australia Day 2011 and Donny Goodmac Yarra Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2008

2011-01-26T22:36:00.012+11:00

I do love Australia Day. Lamb on the BBQ, good wine and most of all a day off – even though I’m on holidays anyway. One thing I did love about this one was the fact that my 5 year old daughter (almost 6 she will tell you) Imogen has recently fallen in love with cricket. More to the point, back yard cricket. So as well as a multitude of lamb, cider and wine, there was also back yard cricket, with the obligatory breaks to climb the fence and fetch the ‘6-and-out’ shot.

Like most of the posts, there is wine. There were a few bottles open, but the most enjoyable was the Donny Goodmac Yarra Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2008. I worked vintage in the valley in 2008 and it was a quick one, with most of the fruit being processed in about 6 weeks. That’s sparkling base wine to Merlot in 6 weeks. What I do remember however was that there wasn’t prolonged heat. It was hot, don’t get me wrong, but the heat didn’t hang around for the 4, 5, 6 or 7 day periods that you will have in SA.

So to the wine. Like I said, the 2008 vintage was one where they got the fruit of the vines in a quick time, so with this you are going to have your cool climate wines showing through. There is almost a coolness about the wine with blackcurrant and cassis very primary. A bit of greenness to the wine up front, but I like that.

It may sound like I am boganing it up for this post - not at all. Like I said, I love Australia Day, but I will not chant "oi, oi, oi', no-sir-ri-bob!

All in all, another bonza Australia Day.

Drink with BBQ lamb
Drink till 2015
90
Screwcap 13%v/v $32 Blackheart and Sparrows Brunswick

wild rocket

2011-01-25T15:43:00.004+11:00

Found this growing near Merri Creek in Brunswick East. Quite simply the most intense rocket I have ever had with masses of pepper and citric acid - just perfect!

#unfake beer

2011-01-24T20:37:00.011+11:00

It’s been a recent trend in the past few years for brewers in our neck of the woods to take out brewing licenses for such bevies like Stella Artois, Peroni, Asahi and Heineken. This is done to effectively cut the cost in shipping and also keep government subsidies for buying local hops and wheat; just to keep the stock holders happy supposedly. It has also been a trend of late that independent retailers and licensee’s to bring out the real stuff at a sometime inflated premium. And for this we thank them.

For example, Psarakos Markets in downtown Thornbury have real Stella for just $42.99 a case, whereas BWS – standing for bulls#&t wine sellers I can only assume – are currently selling said product brewed in Sydney Australia as opposed to Sydney in Belgium for a crazy $52.99; on sale as well.

So big brewers take note. As long as you intend to continually put stock holders interests in front of flavour, the good people at Blackheart & Sparrows, Psarakos Market and Anthony Danna from Bocacchio Cellars– who I am led to believe brings in his own Peroni – will sell us the ridgy didge stuff at a price more often than not cheaper than the stuff brewed here.

So, to keep up the appearances of a blog and not a soapbox, here is a non-fake tube of what was a lip-smacking Dutch brewed Heineken. After drinking 7 of them on Saturday night this post will not have any tasting notes other to say it was mucho fantastico and frightfully wet. Chips-ahoy to you all.

A few Semillons with Ferris

2011-01-23T22:14:00.006+11:00

It’s been one of those weekends really; so much planned, so little achieved yet so much to look back on. A few bottles have been opened, a great curry was made and scoffed down, 'Ferris Buellers Day Off' was watched for the 166th time (really, I can almost do it word for word) and the Northcote pool was bursting at the seams. But it was the two Andrew Thomas semillons that stood out (saying that there is still two hours to go and I am still a bit thirsty).

So for this post it will be the Andrew Thomas Hunter Valley Individual Vineyard Braemore 2009 that will get the nod. Pure in clarity , the nose combines even citrus of lemon and lime which is backed up in the glass with piercing acidity but an almost lanolin-come-mascarpone feel about it; funky shit I know.

Either way you look at it, it’s a great wine and a lip smacker for this summer. And before I go, a little gem from my good friend Ferris,

“Not that I condone fascism, or any -ism for that matter. -Ism's in my opinion are not good. A person should not believe in an -ism, he should believe in himself. I quote John Lennon, "I don't believe in Beatles, I just believe in me." Good point there. After all, he was the walrus. I could be the walrus. I'd still have to bum rides off people”

Drink with shallow fried white bait
Drink till God knows – I never know how long to hold on to semillon
94
Screwcap 11.5%v/v $27 Blackheart and Sparrows Fitzroy North

I have been corrected

2011-01-21T13:30:00.002+11:00

Some amendments if I may; the wine is in fact a Left Bank blend with Merlot, Cab Franc and Petit Verdot. Thanks to anon in Tasmania I now have my facts straight; and I still stick to my comment that Domaine A is the best Cabernet Sauvignon producer.

Cheerio

Tim

Wine Fact #2 - It's not broken glass!

2011-01-18T19:50:00.005+11:00

Many years ago when I was working in an un-named three hat restaurant in Melbourne, I was confronted during service with what can only be described as one hysterical woman who single handedly brought service to a screeching halt! The problem you ask, and I quote, “Ohh my GGGGOOOODDD!! (God not good people) There are smashed shards of glass in my wine. Ohhhh GGGOOODDD, someone call an ambulance!!!”

A good 15 minutes later said woman had composed herself and had sheepishly decided not to sue ‘the pants’ off of said restaurant. What were initially thought to be shards of glass were merely soluble crystals of Potassium Bitartrate, or KOCO(CHOH)2COOH for all you science geeks out there. From here I’ll let Mr. Rankine take over from 'Making Good Wine',

“When the wine is cooled the solubility limit of potassium bitartrate is exceeded and some comes out of solution as a crystalline deposit. When this happens to white wine in the bottle the deposit is unsightly and may be mistaken by the uninitiated for broken glass .... Potassium bitartrate is present in the grapes, partially precipitates as argols during fermentation because of its low solubility in alcohol, and is present in the young wine as a saturated or even a super-saturated solution in excess of its normal solubility.”

The crystals are usually present on the under-side of corks and sometimes will settle at the bottom of the wine bottle.

So there you go. Doesn’t exactly say it’s not going to kill you, but when Rankine refers to it as “unsightly”, well “Sex in the City 2” was unsightly but that didn’t kill anyone – no-one we know of anyway. And that’s a wine fact.

Domaine A Tasmanian Cabernet Sauvignon 2003

2011-01-16T22:01:00.003+11:00

Dark and rich and sexy and dark. The Domaine A Tasmanian Cabernet Sauvignon 2003 sits almost black in the glass with heavy dark chocolate wafting up the olfactory. Clean soft tannins with every sip, with each subsequent sip better than the last – sort of reminded me of The Godfather part’s I and II, the long standing question of which is better. That’s what it was like, which sip is the best. Anyway, clean tannins and clean acid all wrapped around quite ripe dark fruit, something was a little bit surprising seeing it is only 13.5%v/v. But aside of all that waffle, I’ve said it before and that is I believe Domaine A is Australia’s best Cabernet Sauvignon producer. It’s that simple really.

Drink with lamb shanks
Drink till 2020
96
Quality cork 13.5%v/v $70 Rathdowne Cellars http://www.domaine-a.com.au/

Cidrerie d’Anneville Normandy, France

2011-01-11T18:32:00.007+11:00

“A pint of sweat will save a gallon of blood” Austin O’Malley

I would actually prefer to save a gallon of cider in this hot, sticky humid weather we are having right now – somehow I always think of Brer rabbit stuck in the briar patch when it is the humid, don’t know why, just do. Anyway, the cider today is Cidrerie d’Anneville from Normandy, France. Made from ripe apples this cider sits very cloudy in the glass, similar to a Coopers Sparkling Ale but more orange than Yarra River brown. Both nose and palate deliver fresh, clean, and after a while, sweet tones of ripe apple. The real surprise came about 3 hours later when a sort of sweet grilled pineapple flavour came wafting out of the bottle; just gorgeous.

Drink with salt and chilli squid
Drink now
Cork wrapped in cage 4.5%v/v $16 from Blackheart & Sparrows, Brunswick

Wine Fact #1 - Shiraz or Syrah?

2011-01-10T18:29:00.019+11:00

Be it pocket vintage guides, portable argon sprays or downloadable apps to your iPhone or Blackberry, wine and wine talk is everywhere – a true Planet of the Grapes you may say. And with all of this wine talk comes wine lingo – MLF, oxygenation, reverse osmosis and on and on and on! There is so much to know about the little grape that makes fermented juice that can fetch upwards of $50K.

So what I propose to do is borrow the ‘wine fact’ concept derived by James May in “Oz and James's Big Wine Adventure” and now and then share something that I may know and you may not; some may be true, some may be a little true. And without further adieu here is my first Wine Fact!

Q: Where does the word ‘Syrah’ come from?
A: We all know that Syrah and Shiraz are effectively the one grape, this much is known. But why use different words? A long, long time ago in a place called Persia there was this town called Shiraz where they had this grapevine that magically produced a red drink that made everything and everyone seem ridgy-didge! One day some people came walking down the Silk Road and suggested that they might take some of the grapevine back to their neck of the woods – Europe – and try and do it justice. So off they travelled back up the Silk Road and boarded a ship in a Byzantine port and headed off with Poseidon’s blessing. Soon they came across some land and decided to dock for a while in the port, and the port was called Siracusa on the island of Sicily.

So long story short, the name syrah comes from the port city of Siracusa, the first city in Western Europe to propagate the Shiraz vitis vinifera – they just added an ‘h’ for posterity.

And that,as James May would say, is a wine fact!

Felton Road Central Otago Pinot Noir 2008

2011-01-08T09:03:00.002+11:00

Sometimes your expectations are just way to high. This is such a time.

Felton Road Central Otago Pinot Noir – in this case the 2008 - is a wine that more often than not is regarded as one of NZ’s best wines; I am one of those people that share this view. But lately, not sure whether it is the style of the region (probably) or just the wine itself, I have come across Central Otago Pinot Noir’s to be pretty much pigeon-holed in a one dimensional style – big! (I must also state here that even though I have only a few Central Otago PN’s on my blog, I have made the decision not to blag, and no that’s not a typo, on wine that I don’t like.)

In the glass the wine is deep in colour without being deep, deep red. The nose displays a good whack of cranberry and raspberry, but not tart as I was expecting, rather a riper feel to it. The palate has quick acid straight up which disappears as fast as it arrives. After this is pretty much ripe red fruit of more cranberry and raspberry with very little tannin structure.

Going back to a previous life as a sommelier, this is a wine that I would have matched with red meat that was cooked medium to well-done. Reason is simple. When you have bloody or rare meat, be it at home or in a restaurant, the best match is a dry, tart red wine like a cool climate Shiraz or Pinot Noir. This is because the steak already has plenty of juice already, and wine and food pairing for me is all about countering the others overall mouth feel; dry with juicy and juicy with dry. So if you are having a well done piece of meat (not advised) go for an old school Barossa Shiraz which is all about juice, juice, alcohol and juice – or JABS! This is because the piece of meat has had all of the juice squeezed out of it by the chef and the JABS will simply put that juice back in to your mouth.

So next time you are at say Rockpool Bar & Grill or The Point Albert Park and you want to spend $65 on a well cooked piece of meat, go for a wine that will give back the juice that has been so mercilessly sucked out of the rib-eye or God forbid a wagyu.

PS – I am not describing this wine as a JABS, just a reference to wine-food matching, that’s all!

Drink with med-well rib-eye
Drink till 2013
88
Screwcap 14%v/v Rathdowne Cellars, Carlton North

Domaine de la Chauvinière Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Sur Lie 2007

2011-01-05T12:03:00.002+11:00

“I find pleasure in things that are simple.” Stephan Jenkins

Pretty much says it all doesn’t it. The Domaine de la Chauvinière Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Sur Lie 2007 is fresh and clean with citrus, honeydew and white oleander with a touch of phenolics about it on both nose and palate. By the way, the variety is not Muscadet but Melon de Bourgogne, a common misconception made here in Australia. Just a great little wine.

Drink with moules marinière while listening to Demolition by Ryan Adams
Drink till 2012
88-91
Good cork 12%v/v $20ish from Blackheart and Sparrows, Brunswick

Head Barossa Valley/Stonewell ‘The Blonde’ Shiraz Viognier 2009

2011-01-04T13:40:00.005+11:00

Start the new year off on a good note I say. Head Barossa Valley/Stonewell ‘The Blonde’ Shiraz Viognier 2009. Loving all things Rhône, Alex Head brings together Côte-Rôtie staples shiraz and viognier and creates a gorgeous wine from a place where I didn’t think had the elegance to pull off this style. So with that I bought a dozenand hopefully get an allocation of another of his sexy wines, The Brunette. An almost ox blood colour in the glass, my tasting notes on the nose were a bit eligible so I am just going to go with sexy! As like the nose, sexy in the mouth with plenty of apricots, licorice and a touch of dried sage with xmas pud and prunes coming through after a couple of days - very much reminding me of the Shobbrook Nebbiolo. Other than that just a ripper wine, and that’s it really.

Drink with ox tail ravioli
Drink till 2021
97
Screwcap 14.5%v/v $30 mailing list http://www.headwines.com.au/

Cidre Breton Brut Traditionnel from Guenrouët, Brittany

2010-12-30T21:29:00.003+11:00

The sun is setting in lovely down-town Belmont in sunny Perth, and as another domestic carrier flies overhead delivering more intrepid tan chasers, I have debunked to the ‘family room’ of this cheery rental to sit down and talk about my 2010/11 summer love – Cider. More importantly the Cidre Breton Brut Traditionnel from Guenrouët in Brittany France.

But first I need to ask the question: why have I taken so long to board the Cider train? It’s got me buggered I tell you. But anyway I love it and it is here to stay, at least in my fridge, be it in Brunswick or this rather charming rental house in Belmont.

It’s pretty basic this one; yellow in colour, ripe apples on the nose but when you get it in the mouth it all starts to get funky – in a good way of course. Dry, tart, fragrant with a real feel of phenolics about it; I reckon it’s got the palate style of an Amontillado Sherry where the flavour is there, then it’s not and then it comes back. All a nice surprise really.

All in all a great drop and a perfect foil for forgetting about the sunburn you just got at the beach!

Drink with grilled whiting and Neil Young’s ‘Harvest’ playing in the background
Drink now
95
Crown seal 5%v/v $3.19 at Dan Murphy’s Morley

Pinga Bridgewater on Loddon/Bendigo Nebbiolo 2007

2010-12-24T10:02:00.002+11:00

Seeing that I am still on Melbourne time and that it is 6.20am in Perth and I have been wide awake since 5am, I thought I’d fill in some time while the kids watch ‘The Flintstones’ with a post on possibly the finds of the year – for me anyway. The Pinga Bridgewater on Loddon/Bendigo Nebbiolo 2007. From my understanding this is a second label from the Pondalowie folk in Bendigo, with Bridgewater on Loddon being found midway between Kyneton and Daylesford in Victoria’s Spa country.

Dark and brooding in the glass with an almost endless deep set tawny colour with purple hue, the aroma is straight out of the Piedmontese – a tight bouquet of lavender and violet with that evolving to black olive tapenade over the following two days. The palate displays tight and fine tannins and acid combined with effortless apricot, dark chocolate and after two days the trademark tar. All in all a super wine and priced in the mid 20’s is a dead-set bargain – simple!

Drink with slow cooked beef daube
Drink till 2016
97
Screwcap 13.5%v/v $25 from Red, White and Amber in Kew

A real Summer warmer - Romate Don José Oloroso Sherry Jerez Spain

2010-12-20T15:54:00.001+11:00

What else would you want to be drinking while we freeze through another December week in Melbourne – Romate Don José Oloroso Sherry from Jerez Spain. Sinister and dark looking in the glass this little beauty is all seduction and is quite possibly on level terms with champagne as a no-brainer as an aperitif. Almost peanut brittle like on the nose, the palate jumps from earthiness, mushroom, almonds, and then truffles and so much other stuff that escapes me. Quite simply gorgeous!

Drink with truffle risotto
Drink now
98
Quality cork 18%v/v $38-$42 at all god wine stores

Barratt Piccadilly Valley Adelaide Hills Chardonnay 2009

2010-12-19T12:32:00.001+11:00

I like being surprised. I was at St Judes Cellars a few weeks ago having a chat to Sean behind the jump, and we were talking about the resurgence of chardonnay. Did you know that for the first time in yonks, chardonnay has eclipsed sales of savvy b in Australia (going off first half of the year sales from Vintage Cellars); that’s pretty huge!

Now I’ve always been a chardonnay fan; never understood the ABC set – anything but chardonnay. All you need to do is go through my blog and seethe praise I fork out to such players like Bindi, Giaconda, By Farr and Oakridge to name a few.

So, like I said, I was having a wee chat with Sean at St Judes about chardonnay and he asked me if I had had the Barratt Piccadilly Valley lately. No was my reply. Is it any good asked? It most certainly is was his reply. Long story short I gave him some money and took a bottle home.

In the glass the wine almost has a Riesling like clarity. We let the wine sit for about 25 minutes just to get it closer to room temp. After that there was an abundance of grapefruit zest and just a little bit of locut in there too – haven’t seen that in chardonnay for yonks. Gorgeous acid was accompanied by more grapefruit, slight toast and licorice powder; a super chardonnay indeed.

Wonderful balance and length, with complexity and weight evenly balanced. A no-brainer for the XMAS stocking this year.

Drink with scallop ceveche
Drink till 2014
96
Screwcap 13.5%v/v from St Judes Cellars and www.barrattwines.com.au